SA Fashion Week

I am all geared up and ready to hit Fashion Week with a wardrobe that's probably worse for wear - but heck, this is why I love fashion week: It's a time to dust off the good ol' Medulla Oblongata and get thinking about how to renew the wardrobe (and unearth a few more frugalisting ideas eg. bag straps as belts, furniture as centre pieces, material shops... I'm sure you have your own secrets!).

SA Fashion week, the convenor that gave birth to Fashion Week in South Africa, is taking fashion back to the (former) hub of arts and culture, Johannesburg CBD, in a revamped dilapidated Building: Arts on Main. Such a noble idea - if only the Gautrain went there.

The line-up includes some of the South African labels that have been silent for a while and I am jumping up with glee that they've decided to revisit the idea of catwalks... yes, I am referring to Amanda Laird Cherry.

Kicking off Fashion Week will be Diamond Face Couture's cocktail event and an off-calendar cocktail event hosted by Elle Magazine for their Young Designer Talent on the 28th of September.

The rest of the line-up is as follows

Wednesday, 29 September:

18h00: Elle New Talent Awards featuring: Cleo Droomer, Elme Bekker, Kutloano Molokomme, Oriel Barnard, Laila Baderoon, Este van der Merwe, Ntokoco Kunene and a Debut Collection by last year's winner: Marize Malan.

20h00: Amanda Laird Cherry and Ephymol

22h00: Naked Ape

Thursday, 30 September:

18h00: Colleen Eitzen (who received the covetable Marie Claire Award for outstanding designer), Silver Spoon (also a winner at the Marie Claire Awards) and Christopher Strong

20h00: Two, Mantsho and Rachel de Mardt

21h30: Loxion Kulca (by Ole Ledimo - they also got the "judges award" at the Marie Claire Awards) and House of Ole (by Ole Ledimo)

Friday, 1 October:

18h00: Malva (featuring Robyn de Klerk, Reaching Robyn, Malva by Teplov, Consatble, Friends with Jenny, Blue Collar-White Collar and Nnuu) - btw, other than Friends with Jenny and the Collar People, I am entering new territory...

20h00: Gugulam, Sies!Isabelle, Soul Child

22h00: Vesselina Pentcheva, Terrence Bray

Saturday, 2 October:

18h00: Lebo Mash, Nabeela, Sibu Msimang, Karen Monk Klijnstra (the latter two are under the KZN Fashion Council - didn't know they had one... good for you KZN!)

20h00: Gert Johan Coetzee, Thunderstorm, Rubicorn

22h00: Clive Rundle

Time for some honesty: I know very few of these designers so I am very excited to see what SA designers, who do not recive the hype of other fashion houses, have to offer - it's going to be lovely.